[caption id="attachment_10626" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-2012 " title="December 6th's Toy Drive" alt="December 6th's Toy Drive" src="http://news.sjvc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/photo-copy-300x224.jpg" width="300" height="224" /> Ontario's students and faculty have been hard at work in their community this holiday season.[/caption]

<a title="SJVC Ontario" href="http://www.sjvc.edu/ontario/" target="_blank">SJVC’s Ontario</a> campus has been very busy this holiday season. Students and staff have contributed to different charitable pursuits, intent on making a difference in this season of giving.

The first of these charitable efforts is a toy drive. In association with <a title="Spark of Love" href="http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/feature?id=7778455" target="_blank">ABC7 and the Spark of Love Foundation</a>, SJVC students have bought and donated toys for kids who might otherwise have to gone without. On Friday the 6<sup>th</sup>, 300 volunteers, including students and the ABC news crew, fanned out to collect unwrapped presents to distribute to local needy children.

One Respiratory Therapy student could only marvel at the effort, impressed by the sheer numbers and dedication of her fellow students, saying, “Wow, this is really amazing.”

The second was a clothing drive. Students and faculty collected sweatshirts, blankets, anything warm. These would be donated to local shelters to help keep the holidays a little warmer for those in rough times.

SJVC students alone managed to collect 60 jackets of all sizes to be donated at St. Bernadine’s Hospital. The staff was quite thankful, as before the students’ donations, their jackets numbered only 20.

Students from the local chapters of both the HOSA and NTHS clubs participated. These were the same students who, back in November, went on to volunteer their services to the Salvation Army and feed the homeless for Thanksgiving.

“The entire purpose for both of these clubs is to make a difference in the community,” says Yvette Savala, CMA instructor and advisor to both clubs. “I hope by doing this they will continue to be productive members of the community and be an example to others.”

Lastly, SJVC Ontario has been chosen as 1 of 20 schools to help in the <a title="Let's Can Hunger" href="http://www.letscanhunger.com/" target="_blank">Let’s Can Hunger</a> program. Sponsored by the Campbell’s soup company, this drive relies on the work and competitive spirit of local Enactus club members.

The ultimate goal is to get 20,000 non-perishable food items before March. Students will be able to choose where exactly they wish to donate the food they collect, whether that be local community organizations or even fellow students in difficult times.

So far, they have received 382 cans and $217 dollars. Most of these donations were given to needy Ontario students. Those 10 students would otherwise not have been able to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Enactus is an international non-profit aimed at students of higher education who want to better their communities. Across 39 different countries, college students compete with one another to donate more and make an even greater difference in the lives of the needy.

“Our students here in Ontario are very giving and understanding of the need for generosity, especially in this holiday season,” says Ontario Dean of Student Services.

The best part is that, no matter which campus wins, everybody wins.